The PUNCH earlier reported that Akeredolu is dead.
Sources said the governor died on Wednesday at 67.
A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state said arrangements were being concluded to swear in his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
The state government has yet to speak on the matter.
But reacting to the development, AbdulRazaq, who is the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, in a statement on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Rafiu Ajakaye, described Akeredolu as an “exceptional statesman who made indelible marks in public service”.
“My heartfelt condolences go to the Progressives Governors’ Forum, the government and people of Ondo State, the Nigerian Bar Association, and the immediate family of my dear brother and colleague His Excellency Olurotimi Akeredolu SAN.
“A frontline lawyer and conscientious politician of a progressive bent, His Excellency would be remembered for his courage, patriotism, and immeasurable contributions to Nigeria’s constitutional and sociopolitical development.
“As painful as his exit is to all of us, we take solace in his fine legacies as a gentleman and statesman. We ask God to repose his soul and look after his family,” the statement read.
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